This disclosure relates to ceramic materials and, more particularly, to refractory metal ceramic composites and methods of making such materials.
Lightweight ceramic materials may have utility in a variety of different applications. Typically, ceramic materials are strong under extreme elevated temperatures and are resistant to intense thermal gradients, chemical attack, and ballistic impacts. For example, many ceramic materials exhibit resistance to temperatures above 1200° C. in combination with one or more other beneficial properties at these high temperatures.
This combination of properties makes ceramic materials attractive for many different applications. However, there are several factors that may somewhat limit the use of ceramic materials. For example, ceramic materials may be difficult to manufacture into useful shapes because they are not easily melted, machined, or formed like other material such as polymers or metals. Additionally, the composition, porosity, and other characteristics of the ceramic must be controlled through the manufacturing in order to obtain desired and useful properties in the final article. Thus, even though the potential benefits of ceramic materials are recognized, new manufacturing processes for producing desired ceramic compositions having useful shapes is desired.
Accordingly, refractory metal composites and methods of manufacturing such composites are needed.